Earlier in the book of Mark we saw Jesus feed five thousand. Today He feeds four thousand. This is not a repeat telling of the same incident, as some skeptics have attempted to prove. There are many differences in these incidents. Mark clearly tells us that these are not the same people, for he says that another large crowd gathers, that it's made up of four thousand people, and that these people have been with Jesus for three days without eating. The five thousand who were previously fed had only been listening to Jesus for most of one day. In today's passage we find Jesus concentrating mainly on His healing ministry, while in the passage regarding the five thousand He appeared to be mainly concentrating on teaching. When He fed the five thousand He was teaching from the lakeshore; when He feeds the four thousand He does so on a mountaintop.
When we left off yesterday Jesus was teaching and healing in Decapolis. Matthew's gospel adds some extra details about what happens next, "Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at His feet; and He healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel." (Matthew 15:29-31)
Mark is a matter-of-fact kind of guy. He simply says, "During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, 'I have compassion for these people; they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." (Mark 8:1-3) People have come from many miles away to see and hear Jesus and to bring the sick to Him for healing. He has fed them with the word of God for three days. His ministry has been more important to them than food for those three days, but now it's time to depart and Jesus is concerned for their physical well-being. I think we can safely assume that Jesus and the disciples haven't had time to eat either, so Jesus is feeling the same growling in His belly as those in the crowd. If He feels that hungry, He knows the crowd does, and He doesn't want anyone passing out on their way home.
Right now we probably expect at least one of the disciples to speak up and say, "Lord, just do what You did for the five thousand. Multiply some loaves or fishes and feed the crowd before You say Your farewells." But they don't say that.....and I can relate to them! The Lord has come through for me so many times, yet the next time a crisis arises I harbor doubts about Him coming to the rescue. Don't we all think that way from time to time? I've puzzled a lot about what the reasons for this might be, and I think one reason is that we have a tendency to assume God's thoughts are like man's thoughts. We project onto Him the human characteristic of getting fed up with things. In the back of our minds we are afraid He is tired of us, and that He has come to our rescue as many times as He's going to, and that we have used up our allotted portion of mercy. I believe we think this way because most or all of us have had someone say to us, "Stop bothering me! I'm tired of you and your problems. I've done all I can do for you. Why do you have so many needs? Why do you keep making mistakes? I'm sick of helping you and I'm done!" But the Lord never says such things to us. Instead we are told, "His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22b-23) God's mercy toward us is new every morning! He will never run out of mercy. He is not going to say to any of His children, "Leave me alone. I've done all I can for you."
The disciples don't even suggest that Jesus perform a miracle, even though they've been witnessing miracles for three solid days. "His disciples answered, 'But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?' 'How many loaves do you have?' Jesus asked. 'Seven,' they replied." (Mark 8:4-5) Jesus does not rebuke them for their lack of faith. He merely sets about doing what needs to be done.
"He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When He had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; He gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand were present. After He had sent them away, He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha." (Mark 8:6-10) Mark evidently counts only the males in the crowd, for Matthew says, "The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children." (Matthew 15:38)
Jesus was willing to repeat a similar miracle because there was a need for it. Won't He also be willing to repeat miracles in our own lives? He hasn't placed a limit on how many times He's going to help us. We haven't exhausted His mercy or His compassion or His patience. Mercy that is renewed every morning is inexhaustible. The Lord asks, "Why do you doubt Me? Why do You assume I've shut my ears to your cries or that I've covered My eyes from Your troubles?" The Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, asked similar questions of Israel: "Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:27-31)
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